It’s difficult to name another artist in modern hip-hop that has forged a more signature and influential sound than the rager himself, Kid Cudi. One of the most beloved voices in hip-hop, Cudi ascended himself from an aspiring rapper out of Cleveland to a modern-day icon with his transformative psychedelic rap style, inspiring the likes of Travis Scott and Kanye West.
Now over a decade since his groundbreaking “Man on the Moon” debut, Cudi has broken new ground in his career, returning with his long-awaited eighth studio album, “Entergalactic,” which he teased back in 2019. The project doubles as a soundtrack for his own Netflix animated series under the same name, which he released concurrently with the album.
Many songs ride on similar production styles seen from his last solo effort, 2020’s “Man on the Moon III: The Chosen,” but this project blends contemporary sonical elements with production reminiscent of his early “Man on the Moon” days. His new soundtrack contains many classic highlights that could stack up well against his catalog, but like many of his past works the project doesn’t come without its occasional flaws.
A tap of the play button leads you straight into the album’s allure on “Entergalactic Theme,” an entrancing instrumental intro that gives listeners a taste of the atmosphere he’s trying to create. Its seductive aura reels you in immediately with a smoky mystique redolent of his trademark spacey ambience.
With just the next song, the suspense built up from the soundtrack theme releases with one of the most addicting Cudi bangers in recent memory. “New Mode” had me hooked from the first listen, containing a myriad of seamless layers to create one of the album’s more intriguing melodies. An ethereal intro section guides you right into the hard-hitting drums that come out of nowhere, proving that the beat drop can often be the best part of a song.
The high energy Cudi brings right off the bat does not slow down with the third track, the project’s lead single “Do What I Want,” one of the biggest headbangers of the year. The booming trap melody contains all the right Cudi-isms that make the song truly his own, not to mention its incredible catchiness at the hook. He absolutely kills the delivery with what seems like a new level of confidence, which is followed by a stunning outro with transcendent synth lines that ride through the rest of the track. A true banger.
The tracklist then switches gears with “Angel,” a minimalist interlude of sorts with gorgeous pad swells that seem to flow in and out through your body. His complementary humming, a Cudi signature essential to many of his songs, adds the perfect flavor for a very celestial listening experience, further contributing to the soundtrack’s otherworldly soundscape.
The next track “Ignite The Love” leans towards a more acoustic approach in its production, serving as one of the best highlights on the album and by far the best vocal performance. The melody glistens with smooth vocal runs throughout the track which are boosted even more with soaring vocals from Cudi at the chorus. Subtle buildups lead into scattery drums to create a bouncy groove. The first leg of the album really sees Cudi hitting his stride.
Towards the middle of the soundtrack, “In Love” is the first track that I’m not exactly “in love” with. While I appreciate the synth arpeggio in the intro — reminiscent of sounds found in Daft Punk’s “TRON: Legacy” soundtrack — the best vocal performance of the previous track is followed by the least impressive vocal performance found here. Cudi’s singing feels slightly off pitch during the verses and the delivery feels awkward overall. The track does bounce back slightly with his frequent Cudi hums and the “in love” hook, but I would place this song towards the bottom of my ranking.
The tracklist quickly recovers with the second single of the album, the Ty Dolla $ign-assisted “Willing To Trust,” a super laid-back R&B track with a slow, hypnotizing effect. The chill drum loop and droning melody produce a mesmerizing appeal and build up to a grand moment with beautiful Dolla $ign harmonizations, which really add the juice. Dolla $ign also comes in with a smooth verse, and you can really hear the incredible chemistry between these two artists, which might explain Dolla $ign’s multiple features on the project. The soothing outro emanates Cudi’s reassuring nature, as if to say everything will be okay in the end.
From here we transition into the second half of the album, which starts to experience a slight decline from the highs of the first half. “Can’t Believe It” feels far less impressive. Knowing Cudi’s production abilities to create big, ambitious sonic experiences, this track did not do much for me. It doesn’t really contribute much to the quality of the tracklist, and it felt like the track would’ve worked better for another artist.
The second half of the project still contains some solid moments, including the gorgeous “Maybe So.” Eerie, ghost-like vocal leads paired with a calming guitar and beautiful orchestral strings toward the end weave together smoothly, creating a supernatural sound quality. “She’s Lookin’ For Me” adds another stunning track for the album’s latter half. The track shines through catchy percussion, heavy basslines and glittery touches of synth that pepper the beat, as well as elevating vocals that peak at the chorus.
The soundtrack closer, “Burrow” — featuring assisting production from Steve Aoki and frequent Cudi collaborator Dot Da Genius — comes through with fun 2010s-esque synth chops, a grimy bass and an EDM-style buildup. While all the right elements seem to be present, the beat drop felt a little underwhelming. It could’ve been more dramatic to initiate a stronger reaction, but it does allow for more genre versatility for the project.
Though it’s far from his most exciting or compelling work, “Entergalactic” still works well within the scope of Cudi’s discography, especially with the context of being a soundtrack for its visual counterpart. The album contains plenty of high points and true gems, but also its fair share of less-memorable moments with some songs feeling incomplete or just underwhelming — I expected a little more from time to time. Above all, Cudi is paving his way into a new frontier in the world of entertainment with the release of his own show to accompany the music. So with that being said, it’s binge season.
